The physico-chemical quality of 180 water samples from the Vea Dam in Bongo District of the Upper East Region were analyzed using standard field and laboratory techniques at the Water Research Institute, Tamale in Northern Region of Ghana. The mean ranges of the respective parameters were much closer within the same rows. Its maximum values were : total dissolved solids (85.23 ± 13.162mg/l), conductivity (141.667 ± 21.811µS/cm), pH (7.400 ± 0.141), total alkalinity (56.667 ± 1.333mg/l), bicarbonate(69.067 ± 1.633mg/l), nitrate (1.946 ± 1.464mg/l), phosphate (0.075 ± 0.066mg/l), dissolved oxygen(5.300 ± 0.420mg/l), biological oxygen demand (BOD5)(3.833 ± 0.674mg/l), total hardness (56.667 ± 1.764mg/l), calcium hardness (28.733 ± 2.932mg/l), magnesium hardness1(27.933 ± 2.033mg/l), turbidity (56.667 ± 45.278NTU), temperature (27.400 ± 1.453 ºC), sulfur(9.233 ± 1.875mg/l), chloride (6.933 ± 0.548mg/l), fluoride (0.563 ± 0.148mg/l), calcium (11.467 ± 1.162mg/l), magnesium (6.767 ± 0.467mg/l), sodium(6.967 ± 0.067mg/l), potassium (4.567 ± 1.516mg/l) and silica (8.267 ± 0.935mg/l). Except bicarbonate which exhibited significant mean differences (P < 0.009, P < 0.039) and BOD5 (P < 0.021) between January, February, and March 2013, the other parameters were comparatively within the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Permissible Limit (GEPAMPL) and WHO Guideline Values (WHOGV) for surface waters. Outcome of these physiographic factors suggests that the dam’s water is good enough for artisanal fishery, irrigation agriculture enterprises and other domestic user development if negative anthropogenic activities are controlled to avoid attendant pollution of the dam.

Keywords: Vea Dam, physico-chemical, trace metal, water quality, irrigation, fishery.